What's That On Your Head?....

[Roo101769 742]

Well, yesterday I finally bit the proverbial bullet and put on a wig. Guess I should start with a little backstory on this. When I was young I had very thick, curly hair. I could never run a comb through it, it would tangle and knot. In high school I wanted big hair ( child of the 80s here) like everyone else and I had it- BIG! That was the one good thing about having naturally curly/kinky/frizzy hair. Then in my mid 20s life changed. I started having a lot of "female issues" and was eventually diagnosed with PCOS. One of the hallmarks that I experienced was Hair loss. My once thick head of hair became a thinning mass in a matter of months. It was bad, hard to deal with. But it wasn't as bad as it would get. Fast forward about 13 years. At age 38 I became pregnant. When I had my daughter my hair was once again at it's youthful thickness, until the hormones shifted. My hair loss post pregnancy was fairly devastating. I went from mildly thin to pretty darn noticeable. I started using Topik hair fibers at this time. It helped to fill in, make it look thicker. No one noticed and I was satisfied with this fix. Then I started having blood clotting issues ( repeat DVTs/ PEs) and have now been put on blood thinners for life. One of the side effects of warfarin ( For some- not all) is hair loss. Being so blessed by the hair gods as I am ( sarcasm) I was one who started experiencing hair loss. So my now noticeably thin hair started becoming alarmingly thin hair. I suffer from classic male pattern baldness too...All of my hair loss is on the top and sides. The back has thinned over the years, but is still holding up ok. The top and sides??? Well I honestly look like someone who has been on chemotherapy for a while. So...when I decided to have the sleeve done one of the very FIRST things that caught my attention was the probability of some hair loss. Knowing how the odds for that run against my favor, I decided to be proactive and buy a wig. ( actually- two) But being a woman who has at least a small amount of vanity left ( After all - I was 316lbs so how vain can I really be? ) I was embarrassed. Years ago wigs were "cool". Lots of women used them as a choice to change their looks. But that was years ago. Outside of people who wear them for medical purposes, or actors, I don't know of a lot of people who buy and wear wigs. I even bought mine online, with out having the prying eyes of a salesperson seeing me do so. I cannot explain it but it brings me more "shame" and anxiety to wear the wig than telling people I had weight loss surgery! Yet the hair has been falling out more and more without regrowth. ( and will most likely get worse as the lack of Protein issue hits) All the combined effects that have caused my hair loss have created a "perfect storm" and looking very similar to the Crypt Keeper is the result of it. I have been using increasingly more and more of those hair fibers trying to camouflage the loss, to the point I had more Topik on my head than hair!!! Something had to give, and it as time. Time to break out the old hair hat and face one of my biggest fears...And the results? Everyone loves the darn thing!!! I have had so many comments about how good I look it is ridiculous. More people even noticed my weight loss with my new hair than before. Most guys? Well they are clueless and think it is my old hair and I just went to the salon. But everyone who knows thinks it is natural looking, attractive, and a great improvement. So I am thinking I should have slapped the darn thing on a long time ago!! LOL It is still an emotional adjustment. I hope that my old, unstylish and unflattering hair regrows again someday and that I can go back to not wearing this thing. But for now, for this place in my life I am wearing it. And so far the reviews have been positive. Going to try to attach a picture, but I hate "selfies"...

[gomekast 559]

It looks great! Wish my hair looked that nice!

Wear it with pride and confidence honey!

[gomekast 559]

It looks great! Wish my hair looked that nice!

Wear it with pride and confidence honey!

[Branmuffin 190]

Love it and I couldn't tell it was not your hair. I'd do the same thing! It looks great and so do you!

[woo woo 872]

That is really cute and looks great on you. I actually love wigs and wish they were more accepted as a thing nowadays for everyone.

[Bufflehead 6,358]

So cute! I too had badly thinning hair before surgery. I bit the bullet and got a bonded topper (partial) in October. I love it and have gotten tons of compliments on my new "hairdo!" -- I told people I had a massive set of extensions installed, which is not far from the truth. I don't care if all my surgery-related Hair loss grows back, I'm keeping this.

[gamergirl 4,610]

Looks so good! Doesn't look like a wig at all! I've been thinking of getting a topper as well I just don't know enough about how, where, etc.

So glad you did it for you. Looks amazing

[woo woo 872]

Dumb question maybe, but Is a topper the same thing as a fall?

[Noor1969 150]

You look very nice. Thank you for this courageous post.

[Roo101769 742]

You know, I saw toppers or wiglets. ( they sit only on top and you can work real hair through to blend in with) I really liked them and thought about it but had two issues..1) my real hair is NOTHING like wig hair so I thought it would be really hard to blend together. My hair is frizzy/ curly and wig hair, even curly, is not frizzy. And 2) my hair is SO thin on top I didn't know how well it would work. Plus heck, I can be lazier with a wig. Makes my getting ready for work time a LOT shorter!!! LOL

[Roo101769 742]

I am not an expert but a fall is more like something you would add to a ponytail for extra length / volume. Sort of like extensions. But a topper actually covers a specific area ( on top) and you can work your real hair through to blend with. Or at least that is what I think....

[No game 14,437]

My hair for many years was my "best" feature it is also my security blanket.

When it fell out after surgery, and fall out it did,

Everywhere... I was a mess. I would see my reflection in the car window and want to run back in the house, there were bald spots that couldn't be avoided. I get the "hair vanity" thing is what I think saying..

But really I wrote here to tell you,

I think you picture looks beautiful, you are beautiful.

[Fluffnomore 1,235]

Roo, it looks great on you. What a great idea!

[DeezJeanz 1,065]

I think u look amazn!! Had u not told us, I wud not have known it was a wig. And just mho, I don't care if a wig is in or out, If it makes you feel good n look good, then do YOU! To me, extensions, which I love, is no different than a wig. It may not b urs originally BUT u paid for it, so now it IS! GOODLUCK, u look fantabulous:))))

[Roo101769 742]

Thank you all for the support. It is just a hard pill to swallow that my hair is gone. I am just not able to accept "bald is beautiful" for me. ( Yeah, but most men can be HOT bald! Why is that?) I have other obstacles to overcome with this hair issue. I am going to buy some "chemo scarves" to wear when the wig is off. ( Like for the gym or swimming) At home I "let my hair down", what there is of it. But I don't even go outside to take my dogs out or put the trash out without covering up my chrome dome. I hate to see myself in any reflection right now. The wig looks fake and without I look sick. I know I will adjust to the wig and soon it will just be another thing I put on, like makeup. And I have been dealing with this Hair loss thing for years! I really feel for women who lose their crowning glory virtually overnight. How hard that has to be!